The Louis Varland trade was the most shocking move the Twins made at the trade deadline, even more so than Carlos Correa heading back to his original team, the Houston Astros, to shed payroll. Of course, Correa being moved was still unexpected, but if the deal was shown to Twins fans before the trade took place, most probably would have expected Derek Falvey and company to accept it. However, Varland, who is under team control through the 2030 season, getting moved to the Blue Jays came entirely out of left field.
It seemed Varland, 27, was in prime position to be the Twins’ closer or setup man after Minnesota traded away Jhoan Duran, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe.